One Rerun Too Many
by KC

John Gage watched as the rescue copter carrying the three patients and his partner lifted off the Bear Mountain fire road and into the hazy LA county skies. In minutes the three young accident victims would be safe at Rampart. Unfortunately it would take the squad more than half an hour to make the trip going non-Code R. Oh well, at least it was before rush hour so traffic should be at a minimum. Jogging back over to the squad he heard Hank Stanley calling in the engine's status to dispatch.

“LA, Engine 51 available.”

Overhead the copter was gone from sight. Johnny placed his helmet on top and directed his attention to the captain. “Hey Cap, I left a handy-talkie down below. I'm gonna go get it, okay?”

With a nod from his superior Johnny made his way to the path Hector had bull-dozed earlier to allow them access to the wrecked car. He stepped onto the softened dirt of the freshly cut ground… and stopped. “No.” Gage stated with an emphatic shake of his head. “I'm NOT going down there. The handy-talkie can rot.” He turned back around to the astonished face of his captain.

“Gage, whadda ya mean you're not going down? You have to.”

Johnny shook his head again stubbornly. “Cap, you know as well as I do what's gonna happen if I go down there.” he whined. “I mean the first showing was bad enough, I didn't even complain about the first rerun, but nobody ever said anything about syndication! We're averaging two to three reruns a year, and that doesn't even include that marathon! Why everybody thinks they have to vote all my injuries into every marathon I'll never figure out.”

Captain Stanley nodded his understanding. Still, as unpleasant as it might be, the paramedic had a duty to perform. Calling on all his leadership skills he approached the young man. “John, I know this isn't easy for you…”

“Isn't easy?!” Gage exploded. “Hell no it isn't easy! First of all those fangs hurt, a lot. And that venom isn't exactly a walk in the park either, even before all the other symptoms start. Why can't we, just this once, not and say we…”

“What's the hold up?” Chet inquired as he, Mike and Marco walked over from the engine. “Hey Gage, aren't you supposed to be down there?” Kelly pointed down over the side of the hill earning a glare from the paramedic.

“John says he doesn't want to go.” Captain Stanley explained.

“Doesn't wanna go?” Chet repeated turning to Johnny. “Whadda ya mean ya don't wanna go? You HAVE to go.”

“Why do I HAVE to go?” Gage demanded. “Why can't we do it different this time?”

Mike, watching silently up until this point, shrugged.

“Makes no difference to me.” Marco stated. “I don't get to do much the rest of this episode anyway.” With that the two men walked away. Cap and Chet stared after Stoker and Lopez while Johnny gloated.

“See? They don't care.”

“Well, it does make a difference to me.” Chet complained. “I DO get to do something. I get that big emotional scene at Rampart. It's not like I get a lot of those ya know. I'm not the hot-shot, disaster-prone paramedic, remember?”

“I was kinda hoping to get another chance to pick up that damn mike the right way.” Cap mumbled.

Johnny looked at them both increduously. “And for that you want me to almost die again? Thanks a bunch guys.”

“Come off it Gage.” Chet argued. “You know you survive. You ALWAYS survive. If you were any normal person you'd have died off the first season from that monkey virus like Duntley did. Which reminds me, nobody's ever really explained to me how you could be exposed to that virus same time as Duntley, a couple days before Brackett, but you were the last one to get sick.”

The paramedic was momentarily speechless, unable to do anything but stare at his crewmate. After several attempts he finally found his missing voice. “Man, I don't believe you. I'm supposed to go down there, get bit by a rattlesnake and almost die and you're up here griping I didn't get sick fast enough with that stupid monkey virus. You are totally unbelievable.” Johnny looked from Chet to Cap and back again. “I'm leavin'.” he informed them. “Roy's waiting.”

“John, wait…” Cap tried again. His attempt was interrupted by Sam Lanier's voice over his HT.

*Engine 51, LA, what is your status?*

“LA, this is Engine 51. We've, uh… hit a snag here.”

*Engine 51, Rampart wants to know what the problem is.*

Stanley looked at his paramedic who looked back, crossing his arms defiantly. “Uh LA, tell them Gage doesn't want to do it.”

As they waited for a response from LA dispatch Hector trudged up the hill to stand by Chet. “What's the holdup?” he grossed.

“Gage doesn't want to go down.” Chet explained.

“Oh this is just great.” Hector growled. “Now whadda we do with the last twenty minutes?”

Johnny remained silent, stubbornly refusing to give in. He could just imagine the impact his refusal was having at the hospital. How would they fill in the intensely emotional last rescue without his cooperation? Well, let 'em wonder. He just was not in the mood to get bit by a rattlesnake today. Roy would understand. Every time something happened to him Roy had all that guilt and angst dumped on him. He'd undoubtedly be grateful for the break in the routine too.

Just then Captain Stanley's HT squawked to life. *Engine 51, Rampart doesn't have any suggestions.*

Johnny smirked triumphantly, uncrossed his arms, walked to the squad and climbed in. Yes, this was going to be so much better. He turned the key in the ignition preparing to… nothing happened. He turned the key again but got no difference in the results. That was strange, the squad had been working fine when they got there. Climbing out he walked back to where Cap and the others stood.

“The squad won't start.” he informed his captain.

“I noticed.” replied Stanley.

Behind the squad Stoker attempted to start the engine with no better results.

“Great.” The captain muttered. “This day just keeps getting better and better. LA, engine 51. Both Engine 51 and Squad 51 are experiencing unknown mechanical difficulties. Please send assistance.”

“I'm goin' back to my tractor.” Hector informed no one in particular. He turned and started over the hill without looking back.

After several moments Sam Lanier's voice once more filled the air. *Engine 51, LA. I've been told to inform you no assistance will be dispatched.*

“What?!” questioned Stanley, echoed by Gage and Kelly both.

*No assistance is to be dispatched.* repeated the message. *Those in charge have ruled that unless you continue as originally intended you cannot proceed further.*

“Good goin' Gage.” Chet spat. “Now we're all stuck here, probably forever, because you didn't wanna follow the script. Thanks a lot Chump.” Still muttering to himself Kelly joined Stoker and Lopez at the engine. More choruses of “WHAT?!” could be heard as he explained the situation to them.

Johnny looked helplessly at his captain receiving only a shrug. “Sorry Pal, I don't have any control over this. Somebody else made the rules here and I can't change 'em.”

Johnny stared at Hank, then shifted his gaze to the ground with a sigh. He knew what had to be done even if he didn't like it. “All right, all right, I'll go get the damn handy-talkie.”

Stanley patted the younger man on the shoulder knowing there was really nothing he could say.

Taking a deep breath to gear himself for what lay ahead Johnny walked to the edge of the road and started down the hill. The path was long and steep, softer patches crumbling beneath his feet and causing him to stumble slightly. Finally he spotted the wreck on his right, the FD tractor off to his left. With a sigh he said what he knew he had to. “Hector, have you seen a handy-talky around here?”

“Well, what made you change your mind?” the burly man inquired a bit sarcastically.

Johnny, hands on his hips, glared at the older man. “I'm here, all right? Now can we get on with this?”

“Yeah. Sorry kid… Uh, Naw.”

“Oh man.” The paramedic grumbled in disgust as he headed for the car. Looking in through the front window he spotted nothing at first. Starting to turn away his eye caught it on the back seat.

'Oh, here it is…” Somewhat hesitantly he opened the car door and reached inside knowing all too well what was coming next.

A quick rattling was the only warning. The snake struck quickly, sinking its fangs into his right calf muscle. It hurt. He knew it would hurt. It always hurt. “Argghhh!” Crying out he propelled himself away from the car. Hector rushed over, his expression full of concern, as Johnny lowered himself to the ground. “Oh man, I've been bitten by a rattler.”

As the snake, job finished, slithered off under the rear of the car, Johnny pulled up his pant leg to expose the bite wound. “Aw listen,” the paramedic instructed. “Get me a tourniquet. A… a branch, something limber enough to, uh, use as a tourniquet.” As the tractor driver hurried off Johnny pulled up the antenna on the now retrieved handy-talkie, put it to his mouth and sent the message for which he knew everyone up above was waiting. “Engine 51… This is John. I've been bit by a rattlesnake.”

At the top of the hill Captain Stanley stopped as the words came over the engine's radio. He turned to Marco and Chet who paused in their job of wrapping up the loose rope used in the rescue. “Chet, Marco, move!”

As his two firefighters started down the hill after their fallen comrade Hank lifted his own handy-talkie to his mouth. LA, Engine 51. We have a paramedic bitten by a rattlesnake. Engine 51 is no longer available. Time out – one hour. Repeat, paramedic bitten by a rattlesnake.”

As dispatch responded “10-4 51.” Dixie, listening to the message at the base station, moved quickly to the phone. “Get me the county fire dispatcher.”

Hearing the acknowledgement from dispatch Captain Stanley again contacted his paramedic. “John, hang on pal. Help's on its way.”

Pushing the antenna on the handy-talkie down again Johnny set it aside muttering 'Dammit.” as he took his knife and carefully cut over the bite wound. Knowing the scene would be shifting back to Cap at the hilltop, then Chet and Marco on their way down, Johnny looked upward to the invisible powers that controlled things. “I hope you're happy now. I followed the script exactly.” Shaking his head he mumbled to himself “At least with the fanfic writers I don't have to worry about reruns.”

Catch a ride back to the Flight Deck...